piano lessons/Apts.

Check with Ronnie about staying at the Crystal Palace on STT. We stayed there for one night a couple of years ago. Living in an historic part of the city like we do, it was just like home and the people there were great.

Our plane lands in STX at 2:52 pm 8/13. We will begin looking for an apartment virtually immediately. We have reservations for a week at the Waves of Cane Bay. If you would like, I let you know what we find in our search. We did some looking last fall when we were there and most of the places we looked at had everything you would need except for your personal stuff. I'm hoping to find something that is not in a complex. Are you shipping a vehicle? We're shipping two via Tropical out of Ft Lauderdale. I think I have the arrangements for registering them on the island. The lady at the insurance agency I talked to said she would take care of it for us. I hope so.

See you in STX,

Hi,

I'm moving to St. Croix in a week, and I made a pre-move visit in June so I could apartment-shop. Although I didn't get a chance to check out a huge number of places, it did seem that there were many pre-furnished apartments available. However, the ones in apartment complexes or condos tended to have nicer, more modern furniture... the furniture in places rented by individuals seemed a bit dicey (of course it's a trade off since usually you can find less expensive apartments when you rent from individuals). When apartments were advertised as "furnished" there was quite a range in what you could expect. There was one condo I checked out in Christiansted (a two bedroom with pool and washer/drier on premises for about $1200 per month) that had everything including dishes, linen, stereo, and coffee table knickknacks. On the other hand, apts rented by individuals might be more sparce, with a bed, dresser, TV and couch in sometimes rather questionable condition... it would take a lot more sprucing up to make the place feel like home. Although there were a few places that seemed open to the idea of two or three month leases, most folks seemed to want at least a six month commitment.

The condos were also more likely to have amenities like washing machines, A/C, dishwashers, and bathtubs (remember, water is very scarce). Often you have to pay for water and electricity separately, and the water bill alone can run your expenses up quite a bit if you use a dishwasher and washing machine.

Again, my experiences were based on a very limited number of places (I think I saw about five or six apts in all) so I'm no expert. However, there were plenty of places advertised in the St. Croix Avis newspaper's classified section. I've heard that summer is an easier time to find a place, so if you're coming in Sept you may still be able to find decent options.

good luck!
Kate

Ric
Thanks for the info. We would love to hear how your apt. search goes in STX.
We are planning on looking for a used car when we get there, but things may change. What is the cost for shipping if you don't mind sharing?
Are you planning on staying long-term? We are planning on 3-4 months, longer if everything is going well.
We should all plan a STX new arrival get-together.
Good luck!
Julie & Tim

Kate
Thank you for the apt. info. One week! You must be excited. We have about 2 months to go.
If you can, we would love to hear about your apt. search once you get settled. Do you plan on staying in a specific area? We haven't decided yet. We are planning on staying 3-4 months, so will definitely need month to month. We may stay longer if everything
goes well.
I told Ric (who also replied) that all the STX new-arrivals should plan a get-together. We should arrive early to mid-October.
Good luck next week!
Julie & Tim

There is a get together planned for Cheeseburgers in Paradise at 6:30 on Saturday, 8/30. (Linda, would you verify the date for me.) I know that won't do you all any good, so I guess we'll just have to have another one after you all get there.

Sounds like a plan. Can't wait to meet everyone.

Hello,

Note: There is also a get together on St. Thomas planned - so keep reading about that to see what day it happens - maybe you can come to that to - meet locals to discuss island living...

Piano Lessons - you might have to ask around when you get here... lots of people do freelance... on their own time... part time work doing piano lessons, ad sales, tutoring... so ask around when you get here to see if there is anyone that offers such classes... also look into UVI they have music departments - perhaps you could take one class - a piano class... I don't know much about what the St. Croix campus offers - but would imagine it is similar to St. Thomas and the St. Thomas campus had music dept...

Take a look in the housing section of the Moving Guide on this site... there are two short term, bed and breakfast type places listed there - great spots for a short stay.. and a bed and breakfast will be less expensive then a large resort... there are also smaller hotels that you might try.

All the best with your trip.

--Islander